--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Going from PayPal, I thought: 'Well, what…" description: "\"Going from PayPal, I thought: 'Well, what are some of the other problems that are likely to most affect the future of humanity?' Not from the perspecti..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b00/elon-musk-1138_best-way_going-from-paypal-i-thought-well-what-ar_1401995.jpg" --- # Going from PayPal, I thought: 'Well, what are some of the… ![“Going from PayPal, I thought: 'Well, what are some of the other problems that are likely to most affect the future of humanity?' Not from the perspective, 'What's the best way to make money?'” quote by Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b00/elon-musk-1138_best-way_going-from-paypal-i-thought-well-what-ar_1401995.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b00/elon-musk-1138_best-way_going-from-paypal-i-thought-well-what-ar_1401995.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b00/elon-musk-1138_best-way_going-from-paypal-i-thought-well-what-ar_1401995.jpg) > “Going from PayPal, I thought: 'Well, what are some of the other problems that are likely to most affect the future of humanity?' Not from the perspective, 'What's the best way to make money?'” [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He questions future challenges beyond profit, seeking problems that could shape humanity’s trajectory. **In simple terms:** Look for big issues, not just money. Key Takeaway Identify problems with societal impact. Themes future technology humanity Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical strategic When to use this quote - climate change - AI safety - space colonization - global health Key Concepts existential risk innovation strategy Questions to Reflect On - What problem could change humanity most? - How can profit motives align with societal good? A Different Perspective May overlook less visible but critical issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Best way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-way/) [Future Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future-humanity-499953/) [Future of humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future-of-humanity/) [Going Paypal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-paypal-4916159/) [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Make Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-money/) [Making money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-money/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Payment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/payment/) [Paypal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paypal/) [Paypal Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paypal-thought-2229648/) [Perspective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perspective/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Problems Likely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problems-likely-4571294/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) ## Related quotes > [For me it was never about money, but solving problems for the future of humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/for-me-it-was-never-about-money-but-solving-problems-for-the-future/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [No amount of outer technology, no amount of computers and biotechnology and nanotechnology is going to stop the continuation of warfare and racism and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/no-amount-of-outer-technology-no-amount-of-computers-and/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) > [But, it has something to do with having belief in a human future and what that human future is. What is the future of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brit-marling/but-it-has-something-to-do-with-having-belief-in-a-human-future-and/) [Brit Marling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brit-marling/) > [Is the future of humanity really about clouds you can't see and chips you can't eat?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mal-fletcher/is-the-future-of-humanity-really-about-clouds-you-can-t-see-and-chips/) [Mal Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mal-fletcher/) > [I will never apologize for saying that the future of humanity and the future of the world is going to be defined by what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-will-never-apologize-for-saying-that-the-future-of-humanity-and-the/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [It's unrealistic to think that the future of humanity can be achieved only on the basis of prayer; what we need is to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/it-s-unrealistic-to-think-that-the-future-of-humanity-can-be-achieved/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [The health of our seas determines the future of humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-winton/the-health-of-our-seas-determines-the-future-of-humanity/) [Tim Winton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-winton/) > [Today the human race is a single twig on the tree of life, a single species on a single planet. Our condition can thus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-zubrin/today-the-human-race-is-a-single-twig-on-the-tree-of-life-a-single/) [Robert Zubrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-zubrin/) > [When you think about what Homo sapiens are about, you almost feel that we are replacing ourselves. We won't be able to breathe and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/when-you-think-about-what-homo-sapiens-are-about-you-almost-feel-that/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [Today we understand that the future of humanity very much depends on our planet, and that the future of the planet very much depends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/today-we-understand-that-the-future-of-humanity-very-much-depends-on/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [“Every ignorant is an obstacle for the future of humanity!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/every-ignorant-is-an-obstacle-for-the-future-of-humanity/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [After PayPal, I never thought I would get interested in payments again. But bitcoin is fulfilling PayPal's original vision to create 'the new world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-o-sacks/after-paypal-i-never-thought-i-would-get-interested-in-payments-again/) [David O. Sacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-o-sacks/) > [If you don't work on important problems, it's not likely that you'll do important work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hamming/if-you-don-t-work-on-important-problems-it-s-not-likely-that-you-ll/) [Richard Hamming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hamming/) > [The future of humanity is going to bifurcate in two directions: Either it's going to become multiplanetary, or it's going to remain confined to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/the-future-of-humanity-is-going-to-bifurcate-in-two-directions-either/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [The very first company I started failed with a great bang. The second one failed a little bit less, but still failed. The third…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-levchin/the-very-first-company-i-started-failed-with-a-great-bang-the-second/) [Max Levchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-levchin/) ## More by Elon Musk > [Nobody wants to buy a $60,000 electric Civic. But people will pay $90,000 for an electric sports car.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/nobody-wants-to-buy-a-60-000-electric-civic-but-people-will-pay-90/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [I think we should be very careful about artificial intelligence. If I had to guess at what our biggest existential threat is, it's probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-think-we-should-be-very-careful-about-artificial-intelligence-if-i/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [Most people can learn a lot more than they think they can. They sell themselves short without trying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/most-people-can-learn-a-lot-more-than-they-think-they-can-they-sell/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [Some companies out there quote a start of production that is substantially in advance of when customers get their cars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/some-companies-out-there-quote-a-start-of-production-that-is/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [A company is a group organized to create a product or service, and it is only as good as its people and how excited…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/a-company-is-a-group-organized-to-create-a-product-or-service-and-it/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [I'm glad to see that BMW is bringing an electric car to market. That's cool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-m-glad-to-see-that-bmw-is-bringing-an-electric-car-to-market-that-s/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [When we got Tesla going at the very beginning, if you asked me what I thought the odds of success were, I would have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/when-we-got-tesla-going-at-the-very-beginning-if-you-asked-me-what-i/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [If we drive down the cost of transportation in space, we can do great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/if-we-drive-down-the-cost-of-transportation-in-space-we-can-do-great/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [In order for us to have a future that's exciting and inspiring, it has to be one where we're a space-bearing civilization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/in-order-for-us-to-have-a-future-that-s-exciting-and-inspiring-it-has/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [The lessons of history would suggest that civilisations move in cycles. You can track that back quite far - the Babylonians, the Sumerians, followed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/the-lessons-of-history-would-suggest-that-civilisations-move-in/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [The value of beauty and inspiration is very much underrated, no question. But I want to be clear: I'm not trying to be anyone's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/the-value-of-beauty-and-inspiration-is-very-much-underrated-no/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [If something's important enough, you should try. Even if - the probable outcome is failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/if-something-s-important-enough-you-should-try-even-if-the-probable/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [You should be innovating so fast that you're invalidating your prior patents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/you-should-be-innovating-so-fast-that-you-re-invalidating-your-prior/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [I could either watch it happen or be a part of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-could-either-watch-it-happen-or-be-a-part-of-it/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [I'm anti-tax, but I'm pro-carbon tax.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-m-anti-tax-but-i-m-pro-carbon-tax/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) [Explore all 284 Elon Musk quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) ## More Best way quotes > [ The best way to marginalize the Muslim Brotherhood \[in Egypt\] is in the ballot box, not through arrests and killing people. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ayotte/the-best-way-to-marginalize-the-muslim-brotherhood-in-egypt-is-in-the/) [Kelly Ayotte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ayotte/) > [The best way to hold customers is to constantly figure out how to give them more for less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-kotler/the-best-way-to-hold-customers-is-to-constantly-figure-out-how-to/) [Philip Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-kotler/) > [My experience has been that work is almost the best way to pull oneself out of the depths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/my-experience-has-been-that-work-is-almost-the-best-way-to-pull/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [“The best way to take revenge of me is to make me see you successful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-s-jagadeesh-kumar/the-best-way-to-take-revenge-of-me-is-to-make-me-see-you-successful/) [P.S. Jagadeesh Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-s-jagadeesh-kumar/) > [The best way to fight poverty is to empower people through access to quality education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/the-best-way-to-fight-poverty-is-to-empower-people-through-access-to/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [To know each other is the best way to understand each other. To understand each other is the only way to love each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelangelo/to-know-each-other-is-the-best-way-to-understand-each-other-to/) [Michelangelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelangelo/) > [One of the best ways into the business is to get a job with a production, which you can do by cold-calling or by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitchell-hurwitz/one-of-the-best-ways-into-the-business-is-to-get-a-job-with-a/) [Mitchell Hurwitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitchell-hurwitz/) > [The best way to counter-attack a hater is to make it blatantly obvious that their attack has had no impact on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-ferriss/the-best-way-to-counter-attack-a-hater-is-to-make-it-blatantly/) [Tim Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-ferriss/) > [What I can say is that all my characters are searching for their souls, because they are my mirrors. I'm someone who is constantly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/what-i-can-say-is-that-all-my-characters-are-searching-for-their/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The best way for women to acquire knowledge is from conversation with a father, a brother, or a friend, in the way of family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-letitia-barbauld/the-best-way-for-women-to-acquire-knowledge-is-from-conversation-with/) [Anna Letitia Barbauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-letitia-barbauld/) > [Reclassification is the best way to for us to preserve the Internet as an unfettered tool for communication and the sharing of ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-schumer/reclassification-is-the-best-way-to-for-us-to-preserve-the-internet/) [Chuck Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-schumer/) > [I think I just want to leave my mark in some way. I hope I leave the world a better place than it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-colfer/i-think-i-just-want-to-leave-my-mark-in-some-way-i-hope-i-leave-the/) [Chris Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-colfer/) > [My mother always told me the best way to learn to deal with a man was to learn to ride a mule. She said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/my-mother-always-told-me-the-best-way-to-learn-to-deal-with-a-man-was/) [Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) > [In the end, the best way to succeed is to go small. And when you go small, you say no - a lot. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-w-keller/in-the-end-the-best-way-to-succeed-is-to-go-small-and-when-you-go/) [Gary W. 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